CLARK — Miss Bundy’s fifth period physical education class at Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark are about to start their pickleball tournament. Pickleball is a game that is played on a badminton court with the net lowered at the center. It uses a puncture plastic ball (similar to a whiffle ball) and wood or composite paddles. It is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game. Originally invented as a backyard pastime, pickleball is now an organized sport played in most P.E. classes.

In tennis, and many net sports, games are often won and lost by the power of the serve. In pickleball, the ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed. This opens the game to more players and extends play for additional fun. Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash. The goal of pickleball then and now was to create a game that was as fun as can be for every member of the family.